Maybe Tomorrow, Maybe Not
by Eternally Seventeen
Summary: Is Elena really ready to give up on Stefan just yet? Why is it that their future seems as bleak as the unrelenting desert? When Caroline finds herself doing the unbelievable and falling for Klaus, will love really be enough to save them all? -Updated!-
1. Maybe Tomorrow, Maybe Not

**Maybe Tomorrow, Maybe Not**

'Stefan?'

He paused in his tracks, finding himself at once dreading yet tensely anticipating her next words. Judging by the expression that haunted her face, it looked like the thought had been plaguing her mind for a while now.

'Did you really not feel...anything?' Her voice caught in her throat, yet she maintained a steady eye- contact with him, trying with all her might to understand the man before her whose every action she could once write a novel on.

'When?'

His question was lost upon her as she barrelled on, the trapped emotions of a millennia exploding around her.

'How do you do that? Act like...like you don't care, like you-you don't _feel_ anything...' She stumbled along a little, fighting those adamant tears hard. She would not seem weak before him – she'd compromised a thousand times before. Yet, something rooted deep within her would simply not allow her to give up on him.

'Because I can't do that,' she admitted to him, watching the emotions struggle to maintain their calm beneath his placid mask. 'I _feel_ _everything_, Stefan...'

Her voice trailed off as the tears momentarily proved victorious, releasing within Elena a barrage of feeling she knew not how to deal with. Everything felt hopeless, and the burden of frustration that grew with every unyielding conversation only threatened to break her sooner.

With every word she had uttered, she had taken slow, steady steps towards Stefan, as though her body was a mere magnet that was automatically and perennially attracted to his very being. Now, she stopped. Her nose was a mere centimetre or so away from his, and even then she could barely stop herself from carefully studying his sharp features, pangs of loss hitting her gut. But the voice of reason that she had so diligently ignored was now resurface,; a siren to her conscience.

_If you love someone, set them free._

'You don't know what's good for you, Elena.' His tone was even, and only she could detect the storm brewing beneath the calm. All it would take was a little shove in the right direction.

She was restless. And she had had just about _enough_ of his indecisiveness, his inability to overcome his stubbornness.

She looked deep into his eyes and placed her hands on either cheek. If either of them were surprised, neither dared show it.

'You don't need to punish yourself,' she whispered, her proximity setting of alarm bells in Stefan's head. Yet he stayed put; a moth to her flame. 'I love you, Stefan; I always have, I always will. No one can even begin to be a part of my life they way you're already etched in it.'

_If you love someone, set them free._

She leaned into his body a little more, every cell on their bodies yearning to touch. He could hear the irregularity of their heartbeat and for just the fragment of a second, the temptation to go back to their old ways, back before the evil called Klaus had overtaken their lives kicked in.

He inhaled sharply yet moved towards her; a hair's breadth away from her alluring lips. When they kissed, it was an explosion. There was month's worth of agony, lust, longing, frustration and pure love rolled into one nebulous moment when all the horrors of the past could just be forgotten.

He grabbed her by the waist and brought her even closer to him as she buried her fingers within his hair. Passion set their practicality on fire, burning it into a million particles of ash. His lips strayed from hers, down her cheeks, tracing a path from her jaw line down to the hollow of her neck. She moaned seductively, rubbing her calf against his, her hands travelling down to his neck and shoulders. Together, they moved as one, their thoughts aligned.

The front door was burst open as the entangled couple dashed inside, exploring each other all over again. A low growl escaped his lips as he lifted her, her lean legs straddling his waist as he took them up to her room, devouring her hungrily all the while.

She abandoned all her inhibitions as her skin turned to gooseflesh. Her body was operating on its own, fuelled by the desires she had been subduing for long now. Her fingers moved towards the buttons on his shirt, undoing them one by one till his shirt hung loose upon his muscular body.

Something within him snapped.

'No!' he roared, the unexpected change in tone throwing her off-balance.

_If you love someone, set them free._

She undid her legs from around him, her eyes dancing with an intense rage.

'What now, Stefan?' she spat, the acidity in her tone making him cringe as she took a few steps away from him. Already, he missed the warmth of her body against his, and the way she seemedto curl around him that fit the two together p_erfectly._ He had expected something else; anything, but not this response from her.

'Is Klaus going to punish you and stop being you best friend forever? Or is it Damon, whose poorly masked love for me that you wish to salvage? Or do you think that unless Klaus is safely beneath the earth, nothing else on this earth has purpose?'

Her questions left him reeling, and he studied her carefully. Her hair was askance, and he was sorely tempted to brush those stray strands away. Her lips were a ruby red and her cheeks were ablaze with the anger and disappointment that she was forced to continually face.

'You do not know what's good for me, Stefan; and even if you did, it's _me_ who gets to ultimately decide, because it's _my_ life. I do _not want _you to keep me imprisoned here, haunted by the past. You're not letting me move on, alone _or _with you - ' she paused as she noticed the decided shift in Stefan's expression, and barraged on. ' - And mere words falling from your lips do _not_ motivate me to run away with the next male I happen to encounter. I love _you,_ Stefan Salvatore, but if you are too stupid to see that, then it's just too bad.'

_If you love someone, set them free._

Something had changed within her; grown, and taken a tangible shape.

_If you love someone, set them free._

She knew she'd always love him, and something deep within her heart told her that he would always be in love with her, too. It didn't feel right to have to convince him to be with her; but he _had_ to know that had he lost her, it was because of his ridiculous beliefs; not unrequited love.

'Elena - ' His voice caught in his throat, rendering him unable to go on.

And then he left, just like that. One moment he was a few inches away from her, standing by her bed; and the next, he was gone. The slightest hint of musk lace with the telltale pungency of brandy was the only intangible evidence to the fact that merely moments ago, they were this close to ravishing each other and making love once more.

But the moment had passed.

_If you love someone, set them free._

'I could feel the tension, Stefan, and it was _not_ pleasant,' Caroline hissed, shaken. 'Somehow, I _knew_ that you and Elena...' she trailed off, unable to complete her sentence. 'And all I wanted to do was rip your head off,' she completed, unable to mask her worry. 'Who has done this to me?'

'Rebekah has compelled you, Caroline. If Elena and I...'

'Then I kill you,' finished Caroline, in horrified wonder.

_If you love someone, set them free._

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><p><strong>AN:**

My first VD fic - I'm a huge HUGE fan of the show, but only now channeled my muset he right way :P If you would be interested to read a sequal, or simply loved/did not so much love the fic, DO REVIEW!

Cheers,

EternallySeventeen.


	2. For The Forbidden Fruit

**A/N: The sequel to 'Maybe Tomorrow, Maybe Not' is finally here :D Though it may not seem like much of a continuation for now, the story will eventually play itself out as I write more to it :D PLEASE do leave reviews - that's what encourages any writer to continue :) **

**Enjoy reading!**

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><p><strong>For The Forbidden Fruit<strong>

_Distraction. _

That's all she really needed, she convinced herself as she paced up and down the length of her room, furiously ridding her nails of their carefully-applied midnight blue polish. Her mind was idle; the proverbial demon's workshop indeed, for the thoughts of a certain British sandy-haired devil clamoured her thoughts, slowly seducing her rationality away. She was so furious with him; she could literally tear his sexy body apart into a million pieces. After all, if not for his abomination of a sister, she wouldn't have to carry around the guilt of knowing that the compulsion placed upon her prevented her closest friends from being together. Rebekah Mikealson's hatred towards Elena was only spurred on by the fact that the girl seemed to know all the right things to say, to piss off an Original.

A restless spirit had possessed her tonight; thinking back, she realised that she had always been with weak men; men who either barely pleasured her, or were so rough and animalistic in their ways, she forgot her human side. Some men barely cared to understand her, and other merely enjoyed being seduced by a powerful and dominating woman, that they forgot to acknowledge the fact that she had needs, too. And big ones at that.

Caroline didn't know what to think or who to blame anymore. The more she tried to escape from all the madness that she seemed to perpetually be surrounded by, the tighter she found herself bound to Klaus' heartstrings. That though was powerful; Caroline had to mentally slap herself from personally delivering herself right into the embrace of the enemy.

'Mother!'

Her clear voice rang across the hallway, bouncing off the corners. She couldn't believe herself for actually calling out to a mother she had personally estranged herself from for over a year now.

Sheriff Forbes burst into the room within minutes, wide-eyed. Over the past year, her daughter hadn't even made eye-contact with her unless absolutely necessary and she actually felt honoured and extremely grateful that she was off her shift.

'Yes honey?'

'Can I ask you something, mom? And can you please try to not be judgemental about it? Don't act like the sheriff of the town – you do not even have to mother me; I just need a stable woman's perspective.'

_Ouch. _Her tone stung, but Liz Forbes maintained a cool exterior, not letting her emotions get in the way of her rare moment of 'bonding.'

'I'm flattered you consider me stable.' Her tone was light and pleasing. 'How can I help you, honey?'

And slowly, Caroline let her guard down.

'Have you ever been in a place where you _know_ you're _supposed_ to be with someone...but your heart propels you towards...somebody who is ...' her voice broke, and Liz's curiosity was piqued. Still, she only nodded, prompting Caroline to continue.

'Well, let's just say towards someone who might just be trouble for the others, but seems absolutely perfect for you, but your friends might just stake you if you so much so expressed your true feelings,' she finished in a crazy rush.

'Caroline, I...'

Her phone buzzed insistently, and the moment was broken. Caroline was torn between answering the anonymous caller and talking to her mother; she never thought that she'd be one to feel the pangs of a lost parent.

Flashing apologetic looks to her mother and feeling somewhat guilty, Caroline answered the phone, hoping it would be Stefan with a solution on undoing the compulsion placed on her.

'_Hello there, love. Am I interrupting your time with your lovely mother?'_

His voice was enough to send deliciously forbidden thrills down her back, and once again her perception of reality faltered – just a little.

'What do you want with me now, Klaus? Don't play these little games with me – if you can walk up to my front door, you might as well walk in. You have been invited, haven't you?'

'Ah, but wouldn't it be rather impolite of me, Caroline?'

'Like you cared for manners when you were busy ripping Stefan and Elena apart, or murdering Jemma, or oh, hauling around your family in _coffins_.' She spat the last word out like it was an acid, and Klaus instinctively recoiled.

Maybe this was a bad idea, his practicality suggested – but within a second, that thought was permanently put to rest.

'Come on now, love; I never did anything to hurt _you_, now did I? I apologize for Jemma, though – things were rather out of control that night, and it was foolish of me to believe what those meddlesome witches told me. But that was in the past, darling – will you join me for a walk now?'

Everything told her to say no. _Everything but her heart. _In the distance she heard Klaus clear his throat, somewhat nervously – and a dreadful thought crossed her mind. _Soon, he would be dead._ The thought of losing him when she didn't even _have_ him to begin with actually frightened her, and she started.

'Where are you now?

'Look outside your window, love.' His throaty chuckle seemed to bounce off her heart, infusing warmth throughout her body.

The doorbell rang as if on cue and she strolled up to open it.

'Who is it?' called our Sheriff Forbes.

'Just Klaus, mom. I'm out for a walk, alright? I need some air.' Without waiting for a response, she grabbed his arm and marched right out into the chilly autumn evening.

All he could do was admire her, and these emotions, which were so uncharacteristic of him, actually made him a little insecure. She held so much against him and saw him in such disdain, he wondered if he would ever get into her good books.

And then he mentally shook himself. He wasn't _Nicklaus Mikealson _for nothing. He didn't view her as a conquest; he had long given up on such thoughts of acquisition by force – but as he gradually found himself drawn to her, he wanted to love her like the woman she was and in turn be loved for being a man, pure and simple.

'Caroline, don't stare at me in such stony silence. I only wish to spend more time with you and get to know all of you,' he started carefully, his gaze burning holes through her very soul.

In reciprocation, she led him further into the woods and encircled her hands around him, kissing him full on the mouth before the crazy adrenaline rush left her body. She was sure that he could hear her heartbeat thumping at the rate of a thousand beats per second, a fact he voiced the very second with pleasant surprise.

'Are you alright, darling?' Her sudden outburst of passion had caught him completely unawares, and he looked uncertain. Was this a test of sorts?

'Just kiss me, will you? Must you always analyse so much?' Her eyes reflected a curious mixture of lust, longing and utter loneliness.

He reciprocated by stroking her golden locks first and grabbed her waist, kissing her back and nibbling on her full lower lip. He caught her unawares by dipping her, enjoying her surprised squeals as he kissed her first on her lips, tracing a line down to her throat. His kisses seared through her skin, setting her entire being on fire. Straightening her, he locked her wrists behind her waist and kissed her shoulders and collarbone, enjoying as her delicate body shuddered at his touch.

Something told them that this wasn't the result of mindlessly heady lust. It was after centuries that he had actually wanted to maintain more than a purely physical relationship with a woman. And after a dozen failed relationships where she was forever expected to be the dominating pleasure-giving one, it felt nice to have the needs of her mind as well as body understood so well by a man who knew her for such a short while. Ironic was the fact that he was the man she had murderously despised since she had heard of his name. Suddenly, she wished he wasn't a hybrid with a bloody past and didn't have to be killed. Her thoughts were silenced, however, as he sneaked up on her again, his musky scent teasing her senses.

She inhaled sharply as he spun her around, holding on to her from the back while kissing and sucking gently down her back. He teased and taunted her, not letting her touch him while he explored her back up and down, kissing eagerly while she moaned in his arms. Spinning her round again, he admired her, eyes burning.

'I...I don't want to do this the wrong way, Caroline,' she heard his husky voice. 'I don't want to just _use_ you here, like this. You deserve so much better.' And as she nodded her consent, they moved with supernatural speed towards the Forbes' house and sneaked into her bedroom, giggling softly all the way.

'So,' he began, smirking ear-to-ear as his smouldering eyes met hers. She gave him no room to speak further; moving towards him, she kissed him repeatedly while her fingers deftly undid the buttons on his shirt and rained kisses from his throat down his chest. She nipped at his chest playfully while taking his shirt off, causing him to hold her tighter.

Oh, how he tested her patience. He took his own sweet time with her, slowly taking her jacket off and pausing to kiss each of her fingers. She felt like a woman; she felt like she was truly being loved, ravished. He took her shirt off with maddening patience, kissing and licking and suckling up her spine as he did so. Heady with ecstasy, she grabbed his hair tighter, kissing him once and gently licking the tip of his tongue. While their tongues met, her fingers furiously undid the buttons on his trousers and they, too, were now off. He fingered her waistline, making no effort to take her jeans off her. His hands massaged her shapely legs and he bent down, kissing one ankle.

Caroline was in heaven. This wasn't merely sex; it was true love-making, and the extent of her emotions was driving her to all-new levels. His fingers were at her zipper and suddenly her jeans were off her. As they stood before each other, she in her lingerie and he in nothing but his boxers, revelation dawned upon her. What they had between them was something genuine; and she couldn't live with the fact that she knew of his impending execution.

Paranoia coursed through her veins as she geared herself up for a confession. Sensing the sudden tensing of her body, Klaus dropped his hands to his side and looked at her with concern.

'Am I making you uncomfortable love?' he asked, and her heart nearly broke. She had no idea where these emotions were coming from, but she knew that she could never live with the knowledge of having led him on.

Pulling his hand, she guided him onto her bed and sat down right next to him, her eyes forlorn.

'I have something to tell you,' she began apprehensively. 'And you might just not be very pleased with it.'

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><p><strong>Liked it? Not-so-much? Was the sexual tension good enough? Must I continue?<strong>

**PLEASE do leave reviews! **

**Cheers,**  
><strong>Eternally Seventeen <strong>


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